100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders 🚀

Veni, Vidi, Vici

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Romans but were afraid to ask
3.71 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 795 ratings, 79 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Veni, Vidi, Vici by Peter Jones, readers will find an engaging exploration of the rise and fall of Rome, from its legendary beginnings to its powerful empire status. The book delves into key battles, influential leaders, and the socio-political dynamics that shaped one of history's most formidable civilisations. It offers a vivid, accessible narrative that brings ancient Rome to life without the dryness often found in historical texts.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3299
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by Roman history and relish humorous yet insightful explorations of how Rome's empire was built. The author unlocks ancient history with engaging storytelling, making complex events accessible and entertaining.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

'Jones spans all 1,200 years of Roman history with seemingly unstoppable enthusiasm. Informative, casually erudite but engagingly unstuffy, he makes the classical world feel both beguiling and fresh' - Sunday Times

'Jones spans all 1,200 years of Roman history with seemingly unstoppable enthusiasm... Informative, casually erudite but engagingly unstuffy, he makes the classical world feel both beguiling and fresh' Sunday Times

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Romans left a long-lasting legacy and their influence can still be seen all around us—from our calendar and coins, to our language and laws—but how much do we really know about them? Help is at hand in the form of Veni, Vidi, Vici, which tells the remarkable, and often surprising, story of the Romans and the most enduring empire in history.

Fusing a lively and entertaining narrative with rigorous research, Veni, Vidi, Vici breaks down each major period into a series of concise nuggets that provide a fascinating commentary on every aspect of the Roman world—from plebs to personalities, sauces to sexuality, games to gladiators, poets to punishments, mosaics to medicine and Catullus to Christianity.

Through the twists and turns of his 1250-year itinerary, Jones is a friendly and clear-thinking guide. In this book he has produced a beguiling and entertaining introduction to the Romans, one that vividly brings to life the people who helped create the world we live in today.

Series: Classic Civilisations

View all
  • Eureka!
    The ancient Greeks gave us our alphabet and much of our scientific, medical, and cultural language. They invented democracy, atomic theory, and the rules of logic and geometry; laid the foundations of philosophy, history, tragedy, and comedy; and debated everything from the good life and the role of women, to making sense of foreigners and the best form of government,...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Memento Mori
    In this revealing and entertaining guide to how the Romans confronted their own mortality, Peter Jones shows us that all the problems associated with old age and death that so transfix us today were already dealt with by our ancient ancestors two thousand years ago. Romans inhabited a world where man, knowing nothing about hygiene let alone disease, had no...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Veni, Vidi, Vici
    The Romans left a long-lasting legacy and their influence can still be seen all around us—from our calendar and coins, to our language and laws—but how much do we really know about them? Help is at hand in the form of Veni, Vidi, Vici, which tells the remarkable, and often surprising, story of the Romans and the most enduring empire...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Quid Pro Quo
    In this original and highly accessible book, Peter Jones takes the reader on a fascinating journey along the highways and byways of Roman life and culture, telling the amazing stories behind the original Latin meanings and uses of hundreds of our everyday words. Taking in every aspect of the ancient world, including science, religion, military matters, politics, and literature, Jones...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Peter Jones presents a delightfully witty and insightful exploration of Roman history, bringing it alive from mythic beginnings to its decline. Reviewers praise his enthusiasm, engaging style, and the fresh perspective he offers on this well-trodden subject, making it suitable for both newcomers and those with a deeper interest in Roman history.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781782393900

Publisher: Atlantic Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 May 2014

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Atlantic Books

Edition: Main

Illustration: 5 maps

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 416

About the Author

Peter Jones was educated at Cambridge University and taught Classics at Cambridge and at Newcastle University, before retiring in 1997. He has written a regular column, 'Ancient & Modern', in the Spectator for many years and is the author of various books on the Classics, including the bestselling Learn Latin and Learn Ancient Greek, as well as Vote for Caesar and Reading Virgil's Aeneid I and II.

Also by Peter Jones

View all
  • Nightfly
    Donald Fagen will forever be associated with Steely Dan, the band he formed with Walter Becker and four other musicians in 1972. The smooth, radio-friendly veneer of the duo's songs made Steely Dan internationally popular and famous in the 1970s, but the polish glossed over the underlying layers of anger, disappointment, sleaze, and often downright weirdness lurking just beneath the...
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Eureka!
    The ancient Greeks gave us our alphabet and much of our scientific, medical, and cultural language. They invented democracy, atomic theory, and the rules of logic and geometry; laid the foundations of philosophy, history, tragedy, and comedy; and debated everything from the good life and the role of women, to making sense of foreigners and the best form of government,...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Learn Ancient Greek
    Based on the same principles as Learn Latin, Peter Jones’s bestselling book of the hugely popular Daily Telegraph series, this book teaches you enough Greek in 20 chapters to be able to read some real ancient Greek – one of the world’s greatest languages, used by one of the world’s greatest cultures. By the end of the course, you will...
    Paperback
    $5499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Memento Mori
    In this revealing and entertaining guide to how the Romans confronted their own mortality, Peter Jones shows us that all the problems associated with old age and death that so transfix us today were already dealt with by our ancient ancestors two thousand years ago. Romans inhabited a world where man, knowing nothing about hygiene let alone disease, had no...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Quid Pro Quo
    In this original and highly accessible book, Peter Jones takes the reader on a fascinating journey along the highways and byways of Roman life and culture, telling the amazing stories behind the original Latin meanings and uses of hundreds of our everyday words. Taking in every aspect of the ancient world, including science, religion, military matters, politics, and literature, Jones...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Plebs Romana
    'Jones has an eagle's high eye for the history of Rome' - The Times'Jones makes the classical world feel both beguiling and fresh' - Sunday TimesYou may think about the Roman Empire every day, but I bet you rarely think about the plebs. The plebs were the commoners, the general populace and lower social classes, and as such their feelings,...
    Hardback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Nightfly
    Donald Fagen will forever be associated with Steely Dan, the band he formed with Walter Becker and four other musicians in 1972. The smooth, radio-friendly veneer of the duo's songs made Steely Dan internationally popular and famous in the 1970s, but the polish glossed over the underlying layers of anger, disappointment, sleaze, and often downright weirdness lurking just beneath the...
    Hardback
    $6499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Beautiful Banknotes of France
    Beautiful Banknotes of France by Peter Jones reveals the art and stories behind fifty of the most beautiful banknotes ever produced, often referred to as the "French touch". France printed these notes during the 1900s. The author provides full-page photos of each note, detailing the designer and the meaning behind the designs, along with fascinating biographies, historical context, and economic...
    Hardback
    $10500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Homer's Odyssey
    Peter Jones provides a line-by-line commentary on Homer's Odyssey that explains the factual details, mythological allusions, and Homeric conventions that a student or general reader could not be expected to bring to an initial encounter with the Odyssey. It also illuminates epic style, Homer's methods of composition, the structure of the work, and his characterisation. The introduction describes the features...
    Paperback
    $4999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Learn Latin
    Learn Latin presents in handy book form the brilliant QED series of teach-yourself Latin articles, which have captivated thousands of readers of the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph. In twenty weeks, these readers were able to learn enough Latin to read from the Bayeux tapestry, the love-poet Catullus, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, St. Jerome’s Vulgate (the Bible in Latin),...
    Paperback
    $5199
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Self-Help From the Middle Ages
    Pre-order
    Self-Help From the Middle Ages
    A disarming, surprising history from a riveting new voice. Peter Jones explores art, mysticism and literature to show how the Middle Ages used the Seven Deadly Sins as a roadmap for a happier and healthier life. What can a twelfth-century monk teach us about burnout, envy, or despair? Far more than we might imagine. In Self-Help from the Middle Ages,...
    Hardback
    $5500
    Pre-order
    Out 11 Aug 2026

More from History & Military

View all
  • Saving Elli
    One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Spy and the Traitor
    The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Man's Search For Meaning
    Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Betrayal
    ‘Tom Bower is the Inspector Morse of investigative biographers, a fluent, phlegmatic storyteller and a master of intricacies.’ Sunday Times The British Crown is in crisis, with constitutional threats at home and abroad. At a landmark moment in royal history, can King Charles overcome the scandals that blight the Royal family? Can the broken bonds between the Houses of Sussex...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Signed
    New Release
    The Chief and the Empire
    The Chief and the Empire uncovers the extraordinary true tale of Te Tai Tokerau rangatira Te Pahi - the first influential Māori leader to cross the Tasman - whose curiosity about the Pākehā world forged alliances, saved lives, and ultimately cost him his own. On a visit to Sydney in 1805, Te Pahi was feted as a celebrity, building close...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Discipline
    Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...
    Paperback
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Shattered Lands
    'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Goliath’s Curse
    Goliath’s Curse by Luke Kemp offers a radical retelling of human history through the lens of collapse, delving into what this means for our uncertain future. This narrative spans from the dawn of our species to the urgent existential threats of the twenty-first century and beyond. It's grounded in the latest research and a comprehensive database of more than 440...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Good Settler
    ‘Where once I saw a view as I drove around the Taranaki coast along State Highway 45, I now see confiscated land from an invasion road. The creation story I used to subscribe to, the one in which hard-working people came here and settled the land, now jars. Weirdly, even the lawn looks different. The form of things just won’t...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Banjara
    A powerful literary debut from an astonishing new Kiwi voice, focusing on the Indo-Fijian indenture system and how it affected generations across the Pacific.Rajasthan 1888: Avani Rathod, a nomad of the Banjara community, is summoned to teach a blue-eyed colonial officer the trees of her region, but instead is misled into indenture to the sugarcane plantations of Fiji. While on...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • This Way Up
    The debut book from the YouTube sensation and all-round cartographical nerds, The Map Men! In their long-awaited debut, YouTube’s Map Men bring their highly infectious enthusiasm for everything map-related to the printed page for the very first time, in a brilliantly entertaining and eye-catching tome. Packed with humour and fascinating facts, This Way Up takes a deep dive into the...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.